Summary of the decision against Alexey Poltoranin, KAZ
On 2 January 2020, the Independent Anti-Doping Delegate of the International Ski Federation
("FIS") issued her decision in the doping matter of Alexey Poltoranin. The Kazakh crosscountry skier was declared ineligible for a period of four years until 28 February 2023. All
competitive results obtained since 9 February 2018 are disqualified. The decision has not been
appealed within the applicable deadline and became binding and enforceable.

On 27 February 2019, at the 2019 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Seefeld, Austria, the
Austrian police raided several athletes on the suspicion of blood doping. Simultaneously, the German
police searched the medical practice of Dr. Mark Schmidt in Erfurt, Germany. Following the incidents
in Seefeld and Erfurt, law enforcement authorities of Germany, Austria and Estonia initiated criminal
investigations and proceedings against a number of athletes and support personnel, including
members of the privately sponsored Estonian sports team "Haanja". Team "Haanja" mainly consisted
of Estonian cross-country skier and other Estonian athletes. Alexey Poltoranin regularly trained with
the team "Haanja".

Alexey Poltoranin initially confessed to the criminal authorities that at various occasions, blood was
withdrawn from his circulatory system and later re-injected into his body. On 8 March 2019, it was
reported that Alexey Poltoranin withdrew his confession in a media interview. According to the results
of the investigations, it was however evident that Alexej Poltoranin underwent several blood
treatments by Dr. Mark Schmidt, for example at the Olympic Games 2018. Furthermore, all crosscountry athletes training with team "Haanja" who had undergone blood doping under Dr. Mark
Schmidt's direction had also been provided with Human Growth Hormone for regeneration purpose.

On 1 March 2019, the FIS notified the Kazakh Ski Association of the opening of disciplinary
proceedings and provisionally suspended Alexey Poltoranin. The suspension was not challenged. On
21 November 2019, the FIS charged Alexey Poltoranin with the commission of repeated anti-doping
rule violations, in particular of Article 2.2 of the FIS Anti-Doping Rules 2016 with reference to M1 of
the WADA Prohibited List for the use of a prohibited method (i.e. manipulation of blood and blood
components by withdrawals and re-injections of the athlete's own blood by several occasions between
2018 and 2019), Article 2.2 of the FIS Anti-Doping Rules 2016, S2, para. 2.3 of the WADA Prohibited
List for the use of a prohibited substance (namely Growth Hormone), and Article 2.9 of the FIS AntiDoping Rules 2016 for conspiring and covering up repeated anti-doping rule violations. As a
consequence, the FIS requested his ineligibility of four years as a sanction.

Alexej Poltoranin did not submit any comments on the charges and proposed consequences. Hence,
in accordance with Article 7.10.2 of the FIS Anti-Doping Rules, he is deemed to have admitted the
charges made and consequences proposed by the FIS. A hearing was therefore not required. Instead,

 based on Article 7.10 of the FIS Anti-Doping Rules, the Independent Anti-Doping Delegate of the FIS
confirmed the anti-doping rule violations and the consequences imposed by the FIS. According to her
decision of 2 January 2020, Alexey Poltoranin has been declared ineligible for a period of four years,
which means that he is barred from participating in any sports competition or other activity (other than
authorised anti-doping education or rehabilitation programs) authorised or organised by FIS or any
other signatory of the WADA code, a signatory’s member organisation, or in any other sports-related
activity as defined in Article 10.12 of the FIS Anti-Doping Rules. The already served provisional
sanction since 1 March 2019 has to be deducted. Alexey Poltoranin is therefore banned from all
sports-related activities until 28 February 2023. All competitive results obtained since 9 February 2018
(i.e. athlete's first blood withdrawal at the Olympic Games 2018, which began on 9 February 2018) are
disqualified with all resulting consequences, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes. This
decision has not been appealed within the respective deadline and has thus become binding and
enforceable.